The Pollination Mechanism in Trigonidium obtusum Lindl (Orchidaceae: Maxillariinae): Sexual Mimicry and Trap‐flowers

Orchid flowers often utilize exotic pollination mechanisms that match their bizarre morphology. Rodrigo Singer (pp. 157-163) describes how self pollination is avoided when sexually excited bees carry pollinia of Trigonidium obtusum from flower to flower. Freshly collected pollinia are shown to be too fat to fit and require 40 min dehydration time to shrink to the required size. By this time the insect is likely to have moved on to other flowers.